


To the Everlasting Darkness Doom Us

by JazTheBard



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Elros (mentioned) - Freeform, Gen, Kidnap Dads, Oaths & Vows, The Darkness Everlasting, Theft of the Silmarils from Eonwe, because what did you expect from me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26601721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazTheBard/pseuds/JazTheBard
Summary: The War of Wrath has ended, and Eönwë holds the Silmarils. Maedhros is desperate and spurred by the Oath to reclaim them, but Maglor tries to convince him not to.Deep within, the Oath comes face-to-face with the darkness they swore themselves to.
Comments: 17
Kudos: 57





	To the Everlasting Darkness Doom Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Philosophizes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosophizes/gifts), [potatoesanddreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatoesanddreams/gifts).



> this idea wouldn't leave me alone so here u go! spoilers for Thud! i guess
> 
> this is the only silm/discworld crossover i could think of that doesn't involve magrat stabbing any elves or sam arresting all the kings rip
> 
> if you haven't read Discworld, the Guarding Dark is an entity that (for Sam Vimes, the main character) takes the form of a night watchman and keeps the darkness in him safely inside, he subconciously invented it because he knows he's capable of terrible things and wants to be a good person
> 
> for those who haven't read silm, the Oath is an unbreakable vow these 2 idiots and the rest of their family made to reclaim some shiny rocks, they have done a lot of murders about it. the kids are 1 pair of twins who were abandoned in the woods and maybe died and 1 pair of twins they kidnapped and came to love, all of them are reminders that the Oath is bad and they shouldn't do murder
> 
> also yes elros is eru's favorite child, i do not take constructive criticism

"We cannot do this! We have been offered the chance to do the right thing, and I think we must. Let us turn ourselves in."

"You say so as if you feel not the Oath in your heart, trying once more to take control. Will we wage war against the Valar if they deny us its fulfillment? And how long will it allow us to wait? Already it grows strong and impatient."

* * *

The Oath moved silently through the halls of the fortress that was the hearts of its sworn. It could feel Maedhros weakening, and Maglor soon would follow, and then perhaps it could be fulfilled at last.

The Oath tore another door open. The regret inside the room turned to anger at the Oath's whisper of  _ Do you really want your brothers and your people to have died for nothing? _ One step closer.

There were children in the fortress. Four of them, two pairs of twins. The first pair was too good at hiding, and the second was safe somewhere that even the Oath could not enter. If it could only get rid of them all, there would hardly be anything left to do before the brothers fell.

The Oath had been angry at all those twins for many decades. The second pair had at least looked useful at first, but had quickly become a detriment, filling the fortress with annoying things like repentance and unselfish love.

It was going to find all the twins here and it was going to kill them and everything they represented. They were  _ in the way. _

(Its anger was certainly not because it had more than once blinked in their presence and realized that years had passed by the time it had opened its eyes. Luckily no one else had figured out that one of the twins was the favored of Eru. The Oath was certainly not afraid of any child.)

There were footsteps in the fortress, not loud but ringing on the stone in the silence.

It could not be the children; their feet were quiet and they went softly. Who could it be?

The steps were slow and measured, but they drew ever closer. The Oath felt the urge to hide, but what could it have to fear in this place? The fortress was its own, but for the children.

The Oath would not run or hide, but neither would it seek out the source of the footsteps.

It waited.

It glared at the nearest door, which was too stubborn to open for it. It knew that room had something important in it.

It waited.

The footsteps rounded the corner and--

It was not a warrior, as the Oath had expected, though it wore armor; instead it was a faceless figure in a ragged cloak, carrying a lantern.

The figure stopped in front of the Oath, and did not speak.

"Who are you?" said the Oath.

The lantern-bearer sighed. "I had thought that would be obvious. I have met you before, after all, even if I couldn't manage to stop you then. Did you not feel the shadows that dogged at your heels? Did you not notice something holding you back, pulling you apart? That is who I am."

The Oath tilted its chin up defiantly. "Then I have bested you before, and I shall again. You did not even have a form until just now!"

"You have the children to thank for that, I think," the figure said. It twitched its hood aside to reveal its hair. It was yellow -- no, black -- no, red, and golden, too, and black with golden ribbon, and silver, and brown. "They dreamed a thousand stories of heroes, from their parents to those brave folk out of legend, and gave to me their faces. They believed in me, even if they did not know me."

_ Damn _ the children of Men and their  _ belief! _

"You cannot stop me. They must reclaim those gems, and they will do it; I will make sure of that."

The figure nodded. "Why?"

The Oath paused. "What do you mean, why?"

"Just as I said. Why do you have to make them do this?"

"Because -- because that is my purpose! I am the Oath of Fëanor, and I must ensure that the Silmarils are reclaimed! Just because that awful Eru-blessed  _ child _ is allowed to declare loopholes to keep his father safe doesn't mean Eönwë can be permitted to keep the jewels!"

"No, no, I understand that," said the lantern-bearer, waving a hand. "But if they just decide not to do it, do you really have to force them?"

"If you must know, they would be doomed to the Void, as they promised, and I would die, because I cannot exist outside of the world-that-is, or the idea of it, at least. If they merely die I will still exist, though not well, but to break the Oath -- I am the Oath. I do not want to go to the Void any more than they do," said the Oath, feeling as if it was losing ground though it could not tell how.

"Look at this place. It's falling apart. If you do much more it will collapse, and you with it. Leave them alone, for your own sake." The figure's voice was still mild, with little emotion.

"I am too much like them. I will die fighting. I have seen the chasm that yawns outside the walls, and I will not give in."

"Then don't."

"Excuse me?"

"Then just don't," the figure repeated. "You heard me. Do nothing, and I will take charge."

The Oath shook its head. "I cannot do that. It is this or the Void."

"I'm not so sure. After all, it wasn't the Void they named, was it? The Everlasting Darkness, they said. Well, I am the Guarding Dark, and I am everlasting. I will take them."

"No," said the Oath, feeling itself weaken as the children's laughter came suddenly to echo through the halls, cheering for what they had made a hero. "They are mine!"

"I am already here, and I will have them whether you wish it or not. It is the duty they have given me to keep them from hurting anyone else. You can have one last burst of violence from them, if you defy me, but that will be all." Still its voice did not change its calm inflection. "Why not let me take care of them?"

The Oath did not move.

Finally, it said, "The fires are out."

"There is flame in my lantern. Light the lamps and call it fulfillment, fire-vow. I will take them now."

* * *

"Would you just listen to me? We have to break it, or what will--"

"Stop. Do you... do you feel that?"

"What are you -- oh. It's stopped somehow."

"It hasn't stopped. It's gone. The Oath is gone!"

**Author's Note:**

> the hair thing: the guarding dark has taken on the characteristics of the people elrond and elros think of as heroes to them  
> yellow is their dad earendil, black is their mom elwing and their kidnap dad maglor, red is maedhros, gold is glorfindel (they DEF heard the stories about him), gold ribbon is fingon, silver is idk probably cirdan (goodness knows thingol isn't a hero), and brown is beren probably
> 
> please leave comments and kudos! :)
> 
> also i just updated my chapterfic Jailbird so please go read that!!
> 
> In light of recent events: I do not consent to my own original ideas that appear in my fics being used without permission or without credit. If you are able to pick up ideas from my fic then you are certainly able to ask me for permission, and if you are going to publish, credit is REQUIRED.
> 
> This includes names such as elenyafinwë, aþelairë, and almatáru, as well as a number of other details and ideas that appear in my works.
> 
> If you are going to use my ideas for fic that excludes LGBTQ+ characters, for reasons religious or other, I do not give you permission to use them, even with credit.


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